Best Woody Allen Film

Sergeant: Next week, we leave for the front. The object will be to kill as many Frenchmen as possible. Naturally, they are going to try and kill as many Russians as possible. If we kill more Frenchmen, we win. If they kill more Russians, they win.

Boris: What do we win?

Sergeant: What do we win, Private? Imagine your loved ones conquered by Napoleon and forced to live under French rule. Do you want them to eat that rich food and those heavy sauces? Do you want them to have soufflé every meal and croissant every morning?

Watching Bananas tonight for the first time in like 14 years. I never caught that Howard Cosell is wearing his full standard ABC Sports blazer w/ official emblem & everything:

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/7069/134115bananaslut5.jpg

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3950/bananas1rd4.jpg

god i love hannah and her sisters. love love love

God I love how many of these jokes still work. The National Review, etc.

Bananas is clearly the best of the pre-Annie Hall stuff, or at least the most hilarious.

Love & Death matches it, i think.

Why no love for Take The Money And Run?

So many fantastic, memorable gags.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LQj0ufQRdY

Yes, "Take the Money and Run", more great gags in one film than most directors manage in an entire career

Hmmm, would've gone for Love and Death probably. Though shame to see Sleeper getting only one vote and Bullets Over Broadway getting none.

http://tedpigeon.blogspot.com/2008/05/curious-case-of-woody-allen.html

In the case of Allen, it seems as though we cannot evaluate his films with any bit of freshness. A new perspective of his work is bound to be "the alternative" to the dominant perspective, rather than being truly its own perspective. I'm not saying that critics should ignore similarities in plot, theme, and aesthetic design, since to deny these factors would indeed be foolish. Blowing up what's there and starting over will do criticism no good. Of course there are similarities between in Allen's films with respect to the aforementioned element, especially between Annie Hall and Manhattan. The problem is when you end the discussion at the similarities. Both films are tragedies from purely a narrative standpoint, since each sees its central character as his own worst enemy. But if one's sensibilities are slightly more open it's evident that Allen in pursuit of very different sentiments and aesthetic unities with each of them.

Annie Hall is a reflection on the intoxication of new love and the hardships of commitment. It evokes the tension of refusing to let go, and yet not being able to take the appropriate measures to ensure an enduring relationship. The flashbacks and fantasies are impossible to differentiate from reality, and that's the point; they are intertwined to the extent that neither is an accurate representation of Alvy, Annie, or their relationship. What we have are images, memories, and feelings of "love and loss," essentially. Allen presents this narrative in a series of short scenes, each like a half-formed thought escaping from his consciousness as if interrupted by another.

Manhattan, while certainly boasting similar plot and character threads, motivic elements, and even some visual techniques (present in many of his film), presents more focused tension between romance and cyncism. In terms of pure comparison, Isaac is a much more bitter person than Alvy. He seems singularly focused on the present -- what benefits him right here, right now. He's also slightly more mature than Alvy in the sense that his attention is directed at what is occupying his moment, rather than constantly reflecting on the past. He ultimately makes the same mistake as Alvy, in letting the one person who brought happiness to his life slide through his fingers. But the manner in which we expereince this loss, and thus the loss itself, is entirely different. There are budding moments of romanticism in the film, especially for New York and classic love stories, but ultimately the cynicism prevails in spite of the dream of romanticism. Annie Hall, on the other hand, is not about cyncisim at all; it's a bittersweet proclamation of loneliness and self-loathing.

Psst. Don't read what he wrote about Knocked Up.

i guess i didnt vote in this poll. hannah and her sisters is one of my all-time favourite movies.

mine too. i'm surprised that it didn't get any votes.

In Love & Death, Diane Keaton loses her russian accent about 30 seconds into her first scene.

-- kingfish, Wednesday, August 6, 2008 8:44 PM (Wednesday, August 6, 2008 8:44 PM) Bookmark Link

I'm surprised I missed this poll entirely.

There are budding moments of romanticism in the film, especially for New York and classic love stories, but ultimately the cynicism prevails in spite of the dream of romanticism. Annie Hall, on the other hand, is not about cyncisim at all; it's a bittersweet proclamation of loneliness and self-loathing.

Pretty otm. Prolly why I cry at the end of Annie Hall, but always prefer Manhattan.

I notice a couple people voted for Stardust Memories, and I'm wondering if anyone has a better read on it than I do. It's his version of 8 1/2, and way more slavish than most homages to that movie. It's also his whiniest movie, and his most fully rooted in Freudian analysis (same thing?). It may also be the cruelest to its women (which may be a function of its being so similar to 8 1/2). But I'm still never sure what to make of it, how to sort out its tangles of genuine sentiment and crass self-indulgence. It's not so easy with the Fellini movie, either, but this movie being once removed, it's all the more messy.

There's a chance I might've voted for Broadway Danny Rose or Radio Days, I adore those movies.

i love broadway danny rose. I wanted the old comics kvetching to be its own separate movie.

i'd take broadway danny rose over any of his films that came after it, no question

crimes and misdemeanors creeps up on you. by the end you're kind of astounded, great acting, martin landau is perfect.

xp to tremedoid- Ha that would've been great! Wonder if WA has enough on film to make a dvd extra doco out of those comics. Otoh interest is prob not that high.

i think it's high, he's never done anything to dress up his movies and he's been adamant about it.

so many people would puke though if he made a break for publicity. that shit ain't forgotten.

Crimes and Misdemeanors is so good. Did he ever even touch it?

annie hall has the sneezing into lots of coke and the escaped lobsters, yeah? all-time lollz. still, i reckon his best film is comfortably crimes and misdemeanours. it's nearly perfect.

unlike my spelling. cross out the pointless u there, jeezus. thanks.

Crimes and Misdemeanors is so good. Did he ever even touch it?

Several times, before and after.

no love for Bullets Over Broadway & Shadows and Fog. :(

kinda disappointed that Hannah and Her Sisters didn't get a single vote.

Or Purple Rose of Cairo (which admittedly doesn't give that extra kick, in spite of being just as well made as much of his others)

How ironic, for years I've subjected my wife to Woody Allen movies trying to change her mind about him. She hates most of his earlier stuff, and is ambivalent about recent ones. Then we watched Manhattan Murder Mystery and she laughed her ass off! And it was really funny! His character was long-suffering more than annoying, and had lots of great lines. Perhaps not better, but sure as hell funnier than Zelig, Love & Death, Bullets Over Broadway, etc. Sweet & Lowdown had funny bits I think, need to rewatch it. What to try next...

H&W.

Some eccentric choices, tho the only wha? in the upper ranks is Shadows and Fog.

http://www.film.com/movies/ranked-woody-allen-films-from-worst-to-best

I haven't seen Stardust Memories since it was new in the theater, and didn't like it at the time. I should probably rewatch?

think so. I don't like it as much as that guy, but it's not bad.

Its exaggerated grotesquerie is prettt unique in his filmography, the laffs are there but they're pretty barbed. I like it a lot.

i rewatched sm recently after many years. i thought i'd like it but didn't. it's heavy on fellini-isms which grated on me.

the only wha? in the upper ranks is Shadows and Fog.

Granted, ranking Mighty Aphrodite that high isn't "Wha?" It's "The hell?!"

Its exaggerated grotesquerie is prettt unique in his filmography, the laffs are there but they're pretty barbed. I like it a lot.

― the Spanish Porky's (Shakey Mo Collier),

silly targets though

is shadows and fog worth watching at all? it's one of few i've missed as it's never seemed appealing to me.

I keep forgetting about the existence of Cassandra's Dream.

I found Mighty Aphrodite a pleasant trifle -- what the hell, Eric, Bea Arthur's in it.

Shadows and Fog is worh seeing for Jodie Foster licking Woody's nipple. No, really. (John Cusack has a good bit too, and there's the novelty of Madonna.)

I see skipping all thos '00s films still looks wise on my part. (Also putting Alice only a slot higher than Pussycat is nuts.)

Small Time Crooks is underrated once again here.

what the hell, Eric, Bea Arthur's in it.

She's also in The Star Wars Holiday Special.

and gets one of about 3 laughs in History of the World.

My high school history teacher not only showed that film in class, but he also paused at the Oedipus joke to explain "hey, motherfucker!"

shadows and fog is top 5

stardust has good stuff but i cannot at all read the tone of that scene where the fat lady tells him she was raped and that she "didn't even resist" and he says "well knowing you!"

Don't Drink the Water for TV is better than his recent shit.

Im happy shadows and fog is being rediscovered.

"There was just the one slashing, i wouldnt be worried about that. Primarily this guy is a strangler."

I dont remember anything about shadows and fog except that it seemed like an empty series of endless cameos

Maybe it was the age I was when I watched it but I loved Hannah and her Sisters. Before that Annie Hall and Radio Days.

it's true! everyone loves his illusions!

love zem? zey NEED zem. like zey need ze AIHR.

scene where woody asks to have back a charitable donation to the church, which donation had gotten his name erased from an ominous "list", and one of the priests w great disapproval restores woody's name to the list and the other one leans over and says put a circle around it is one of my biggest laughs in his whole career

I have never seen Shadows and Fog, and I have just now been confusing it with Interiors for some stupid reason, thinking that was being highly reevaluated.

lots of shadows and fog on Long Island winters

I wonder if any alternate scenes have been saved, from when he shot substantial scenes before recasting.

As in September:

For the re-shot second version, Elaine Stritch, Denholm Elliott and'Sam Waterston' replaced Maureen O'Sullivan, Charles Durning and Sam Shepard respectively.

In addition to these replacements, there was one more that did not even make it through an entire shooting. At the very beginning of shooting, Christopher Walken played the role of Peter but Allen only shot a few scenes with him before he decided that he was wrong for the part. Walken was replaced by Sam Shepard who, in turn, was later replaced by Sam Waterston.

from the thing morbz posted:

Pound for pound “Love and Death” has more quality jokes in it than any other movie ever.

otmfm. was my #1 in our comedy poll. laughs every three seconds.

Wheat...lots of wheat...fields of wheat.

I would imagine he junked the September stuff. Woody is about as interested in leaving behind outtakes/alternate versions as Kubrick was.

That film really threw me, as it was his first indisputable whiff.

Sam Shepard later said Allen was the worst director of actors he'd ever worked with.

Love and Death gets funnier the more you know Russian lit and Bob Hope movies.

the bob hope stuff is really uncanny. especially when the joke's dirtier than something bob hope would do ("how do you like it?" "it's nice. i'd have preferred something sexy, but.") but has exactly the same rhythm.

he freely admits to "doing" Hope in L&D (and Monsieur Beaucaire seems like a 1940s Allen movie).

I like Love and Death although, like Sleeper, it kinda runs out of laughs after an hour or so. But there are so much packed in the first hours of each film that its easily forgivable.

I like the whole cloning sabotage climax in Sleeper. "I'll shoot the nose!" "I've seen him, he'll do it!"

keep in mind: Sleeper and L&D are short movies, so that means both run out of laughs fairly close to the end.

Oh man sleeper is my favorite of his "earlier, funnier" movies, I will brook no criticism of rags the dog or the pleasure orb

Rags turns up on an Orb album too.

I'm amused that the NY Times obit of David Greenglass ends quoting the joke from Crimes and Misdemeanors.

this AVC piece claims that his best collab with ScarJo is... Scoop! which i haven't seen.

http://www.avclub.com/article/scarlett-johansson-found-meaning-late-period-woody-239054

I can barely remember anything about it, but I know I saw it

my main memory of it is Alexander Armstrong suddenly appearing at the end as a policeman, also that the film sucked

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wTTFzDQEsJs/VjJzq0zGhII/AAAAAAABA3U/AzKsbQRMyoY/s400/Scoop-2006-Woody-Allen-Scarlett-Johansson-Magic-27.jpg

isn't there some weird greek conceit? I seem to remember it ending w someone in a boat crossing the river styx

Ed Norton does a p spot on impersonation throughout Sausage Party, can't find a vid but this one gives an idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9wvUHAqLkQ